Kane Wommack has done an impressive job in three seasons as head coach at South Alabama, going 22-16 with a 10-win season in 2022 at a program that hadn't recorded a single winning season in a decade of FBS football before his arrival had . But with the news that Wommack is leaving to join his old pal Kalen DeBoer's staff at Alabama as defensive coordinator, a good job has become available in the Sun Belt. The Jaguars have a really strong recruiting base and are considered an up-and-coming team in a strong league.
The obvious choice to replace Wommack is his offensive coordinator Major Applewhite, who did an outstanding job with the Jags and produced the best offense in school history. South Alabama ranked first in yards per game, second in yards per rush and first in red zone touchdown percentage in the Sun Belt this year. The Jags finished second to last in the conference in yards per game in 2020, the season before Applewhite's arrival.
Applewhite went 15-11 (including a 2-1 record against ranked opponents) in two seasons as head coach at Houston, but was suddenly fired after an eight-win season that included a 70-14 loss to Army in the 2018 Armed Forces Bowl ended. From there, he worked under Nick Saban as an analyst at Alabama and was then hired by Wommack to run the offense at South Alabama. Polished and thoughtful, the Louisiana native and former Texas star quarterback has shown strong growth in recent years. He is considered someone who can connect with many people.
Freddie Roach, Alabama defensive line coach is considered another viable option. The 40-year-old played at Alabama and spent two seasons with the Jaguars. He has worked in various capacities in Tuscaloosa and is well-liked.
Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, a Louisiana native, gave the Hurricanes a much-needed boost on offense this fall as Miami rose from ninth in the ACC to second in yards per game. The 46-year-old worked as an assistant at Southern Miss from 2016 to 2018 and has spent a lot of time in the area. Dawson is held in high regard by several important figures in south Alabama.
Trooper Taylor, assistant head coach at Texas A&M I just came to College Station to coach running backs after serving as Duke's interim head coach and leading the Blue Devils to a victory in the Birmingham Bowl. Taylor, 53, has recruited throughout the region and spent four seasons at Auburn.
The wild card in this search is one of Mobile's favorite sons: Tea Martin, now quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens. The 45-year-old Martin, who led Tennessee to the national title as a player, is in a great position in Baltimore, working with MVP candidate Lamar Jackson to become a true Super Bowl contender. Prior to his time with the Ravens, Martin had great success developing players at Kentucky and USC. It is closely connected to the entire south. But things are going very well for him in the NFL with a very respected organization, and the timing of this search makes this seem like a far-fetched plan.
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